Appling Hope Center tells commissioners hunger is driving use of warming station; reported 15,000 to-go plates in 10 months

Deidra Hewett, representing the Appling Hope Center, addressed the Appling County Board of Commissioners during the Nov. 4 meeting to describe the center’s work and the needs of local residents.

Hewett said 60% of those using the center’s services are elderly, disabled or both, and that during last January’s warming-station operations the center served more than 200 people each day. Volunteers found that many people who came were driven by hunger rather than exposure to cold weather; Hewett said one person told volunteers he had to work an hour to pay for one pound of hamburger. Hewett also described the center’s operating costs, noting that the center’s rent is $1,200 while some clients’ paychecks were $600.

Hewett reported the Appling Hope Center provided roughly 15,000 to-go plates over a 10-month period (an average of about 1,000 per month) and thanked the community for support. "Those are the people we are helping," she said.

Hewett asked the board and attendees to consider sustained community support and noted the center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that relies on volunteers and donations. The meeting record does not show the board taking a formal action in response to the presentation; the item appeared as a informational presentation under Special Guests.

The minutes record multiple spellings of Hewett’s name; this article uses the spelling "Deidra Hewett" as it appears in the meeting agenda and presentation header. Further details about ongoing needs, funding requests, or formal county assistance were not specified in the meeting minutes.